Circuit control device



N0V- 22, 1960 s. R. ovsHxNsKY 2,961,511

CIRCUIT CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 7, 1958 BY 3,4 ff ff U IM j! i United States Patent O '2,961,511 CIRCUIT coNTRoL DEVICE Stanford R. Ovshinsky, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Tann Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 726,663 8 Claims. (Cl. 20o-112) Fig. 2 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. l, showing a further form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. l, showing another form which the invention may assume, and Fig. 4 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, showing still another form of the invention.

Contains a plurality of conducting or nonconducting parg ticles which are compacted to form a conducting or n- 'sulating path between conductors connected to a circuit. While compacting the particles along apath in one ofthe divided compartments, the other half ofthe compartment may have the particles dispersed along a path between contacts connected in a second circuit and passed through the diaphragm into the rst said compartment. instead of permitting the particles to passl therethrough, the diaphragm may trap the particles and become conductive to complete a circuit across conductors which are joined thereto. Thus, a dilerence in potential applied across the dielectric uid controls the compacting of the particles to a desired degree, depending upon the voltage which is employed across the compartment. The greater the voltage the greater the compacting of the particles, andtherefore the more current which may be carried when the particles are conducting.

j A conducting liquid may be employed for passing from onef to the other side of the diaphragm for completing a circuit in one section of the compartment while interrupting a circuit in the other section thereof. The control of the path by the difference in potential thereacross may be augmented by a magnetic flux control separatelyv or in'combination with the potential controlv to 'require thev presence .of multiple signal means for passing and/or interrupting the current. y

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: t0

provide a device which is controlled by a difference inl potential to produce a change in state in a path through the device to control the conductivity of the path; to make the properties of a fluid in the particles therein through a diaphragm; to form a compacted conducting path by a difference in potential applied across the device; to :app-ly a potential across the diaphragm within a device which compacts conducting particles therein to control the conductivity of a current path; to form a conducting path across the contacts of a device to which a circuit is joined to pass current therethrough upon the application of device, land, in general, to provide a control device for a circuit which is simple in construction, tion and'economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention willvbe specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

4 Figure 1 is `a sectional/view of a device for controlling; an electric circuit embodying features of. the ,present` invention;

a device conducting by moving' a potential across the tive one bythe attraction through the diaphragm moved into the lower The device of the present invention controls the passage of current by a change in state of a material which bridges spaced conductors within the length of the de vice. For example, the device illustrated in Fig. 1 has an insulating body 10 containing an internal chamber 11 divided into two sections by a porous diaphragm 12 which may be metal, parchment membrane, or other material which has minute openings therethrough. A dielectric liquid 13, which may be of the silicon type having diierent viscosities, is placed within the chamber and a plurality of conducting particles 14 of silver, copper or the like are susepnded in the liquid. An electrode 15 is mounted at one end of the device opposite to an electrode 16 mounted in the other end thereof. A circuit 17 is connected to the electrodes through a signal device 18, the circuit providing a difference in potential across the electrodes from a voltage source 19. A circuit is connected to a pair of contacts 21 in one of the sections of the chamber and a second circuit is connected to a pair of contacts v22 located across the other section jof the chamber. As illustrated in the figure, the area on the lower section of the chamber below the diaphragm has its statuschanged from a nonconductive to a conducof the particles downwardly 12 into the lower section where they -are compacted into a conductive path. When the pathA bridgesthe contacts 22, current will flow in the connected circuit,` and as more and moreparticles -are section, a greater and greater,` amount Aof current can be passed across the contacts; As the particles pass from the upper section of the cham-v ber into the lower, less and less current will be carried; across the contacts 21 and the circuit joined thereto is: quickly broken. In this manner, a circuit through one:

- of the sections of the-chamber may be broken while a:

circuit -through the other section is completed to a greater or lesser extent, depending upon the amount of compacting which. occurs to the particles. When the signal deY vice is again operated, a difference in potential occurs across the electrodes 15 and v16 causing the particles tjo,

jv section or from rabove l thel diaphragm,

positive in Operai employed separately without move upwardly through the diaphragm 12 until all of the particles have moved into the section of the chamber thereby interrupting the circuit through the contacts 22 while completing a circuit across v .1. the contacts 21.

In Fig. 2, a similar device is illustrated, that wherein. coils 23 and 24 are placed in opposite ends of the housing; 1,0 to. produce magnetic elds on the particles 25 within thee-dielectric liquid 13 when the particles are made of In the figure, the coils are placed about the electrodes 15 and 16 which may be. employed separately as described above when a differ' ence in potential is applied thereacross, or in combinar tion with anrnagnetic field, or the magnetic field may be applying the potential across"I the electrodes. When the coils are used alone or with theI electrodes, the p lay of `signals in the circuits thereto will-control thev circuits across the contacts 21 ,and-22,.:; The particles will travel from the upper to the lowerj the lower to the upper section when theaxis of the housing is in a vertical plane or from vone to the other end when the axis is in a horizontal plane,1 depending upon which coilfis energized. T he movementr ofgthejparticlesrnay `be'prevented by applying arbiasfrpotential applied across the diaphragm blocks the passage of the particles therethrough when the ux from one or the other or both coils attempts to move the particles past the diaphragm from one to the adjacent section of the chamber. From this it will be understood that a further control is provided for completing the circuits 21 or 22 by a signal which completedV a circuit to the coil 23 which will prevent the particles 25 from moving into the adjoining section if a potential is present across the diaphragm. It is necessary to have a second signal oppose and therefore remove thek potential from across the diaphragm before the particles may pass to complete the contacts 21 or 22,

In Fig. 3, a further formy of the device is illustrated', that wherein an insulating body 26 has a hollow chamber 27 divided into two sections by a diaphragmY 28 of one of theY types above referred to. A circuit 29 isv completed in the left-hand section by the conducting liquid 30, While a circuit 31 is interrupted in the right-hand section. As herein illustrated, the conducting liquid 30 fills! the left-hand section of the chamber, thereby'completing the circuit 29 while the right-hand chamber is empty, causing the circuit 31 to be interrupted. When a potential is applied across the diaphragm in one direction by the circuit 32, the liquid 30 in one section will pass through the diaphragm into the other section. By applying the potential to the diaphragm in opposite directions, the fluid will move from one side of the dia"- phragm into the other, completely emptying the one and filling the other side ofthe hollow interior.

In Fig. 4, a device similar to that ofl Fig. V3l isillustrated, having, in addition, electrodes 35 and 36 mounted' at opposite ends so that when no potential is present acrossthe diaphragm 28 of porous metal sheet or screen from the circuit 32, a difference in potential applied across the electrodes 35 and 36 will force-thepa'rticles to pass throughY thediaphragm from one*l to the other end of the device in the liquid 13 within the"hol1owinterior thereof. By reversing the iiowy of' the potential, the particles canY be forced to move either to the' right' orv left section of the chamber, which movement, asf thecase may be, may be blocked by a potential in' the circuit 32 across the diaphragm 2S. When a potential is applied to the circuit 32, the particles will collect on the diaphragm and will complete a circuit 39 connected to the contacts 37 and 38 supported on the diaphragm.

Insulating sleeves 40 are disposed about the contacts` 37 and 38 and secured to the diaphragm, thereby insulatingthe contacts therefrom. With this arrangement, the

conducting particles may be' compacted in' either section" of'the compartment or on the diaphragm and'may'make` or break circuits connected to the contactsf'21 or 22 or across contacts 37 and 38.

Whenthe word particle is employed throughout vthe specification and claims, it isv to be understood' that true spherical particles are not necessarily referred to since thefparticles may be of any shape and may vary in size, depending upon the size of apertures in the diaphragm.

Such particles can be magnetic, conductive; ornoncolnf ductive, since they will be affected by the applied differ-v ence in potential across the electrodes-and be'moved in a vmanner to change the conductivity of a path, as hereinabove described. Thischange of state of the variable medium of the device will change the degreelof conductivity of a path to interruptor complete a circuit, as'

the case may be.

What is claimed is:

l. In a control device fora circuit, ahousing'havingf an ,internal'chamben a diaphragm dividing-said`chamber into' two sections,` contacts extending into at vleast 'one'of vsaid sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid' ducting particles withinsaidliquid .which'passffthrough seididiaphragmnintca Vsectionwhich becomes conductive;

2. In a control device for a circuit, a housing having an internal chamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into two sections, contacts extending into at least one of said sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid within said housing, means at opposite ends of the housing providing an electrostatic field when connected to a supply circuit, said diaphragm being porous, and conducting particles within said liquid which pass through said diaphragm into a section which becomes conductive when a difference of potential is applied across said electrodes to produce said field.

3. In a control device for a circuit, a housing having an internal chamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into two sections, contacts extending into at least one of said sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid within said housing, means at opposite ends of the housing providing a field when connected to a supply circuit said diaphragm being porous, conducting particles within said liquid which pass through said diaphragm into a section which becomes conductive, and a coil located at each end of'said housing which produces a magnetic field whenV energized to move said particles when of magnetizable material with or in opposition to that produced by said electrostatic field.

4. In a control device for a circuit, a housing having an internalchamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into two sections, contacts extending into at least one of said sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid withinsaidhousing,.means at opposite ends of the housing providing a field whenfconnected to a supply circuit,said diaphragm being-porous, conducting particles'within said liquid which pass: through said diaphragm into a section which becomes conductive, and a coil located at ea'chen'd of said housing whichlproduces a magnetic field whenenergized to move said particles when of magnetizable material, said electrostatic field being also applicabletov said particles by a'difference in potential across 'said electrodes separately and in combination with the magnetic field vproduced by said coils.

5. In a control device for a circuit, a housing having an internal chamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into two sections, contacts extending into at least one ofV said sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid within said housing, means at opposite ends of the housing providing a eldwhen connected to a supply circuit-for" rendering said liquid conductive in said one section for completing a circuit across said contacts, and means fort `applying a diference in potential across saidv diaphragm for preventing 'the passage of the particles therethrough..

6'.' In a` control device for a circuit, a' housing v having-f' an internal chamber, a diaphragm dividingv said chamber' into two sections, contacts extending into at least one of said'sectionsto which a circuit may be secured, a Iliquidl within said housing, means at opposite ends of the housing-A providing a field when connected to a supply circuit for rendering said liquidconductive in said one section for completing a circuit across said contacts, means vfor applying a difference in potential across said diaphragm for? preventingV the passage of the particles therethrough, said particles rendering said diaphragm conducting, and'sp'accd` contacts on said diaphragm between which a conducting path is completed.

7. In a control device for -a circuit, a housing having an internal chamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into` two sections, contacts extending into at least one of said sections to which a circuit may be secured, a liquid within said housing, means at opposite ends of the housingv providinga'lield when connected to a supply circuit for rendering saidliquid conductive in said one section for completing a circuit across said contacts, contacts on saidv diaphragm connectible in a circuit, and means for applying a potential across said diaphragm for collecting and compacting particles thereon which bridge the contacts Yon the-diaphragm' and complete a circuit thereacross.

8. in a control device for a circuit, a housing havingtml internal chamber, a diaphragm dividing said chamber into two sections, contacts at opposite ends of said diaphragm, a liquid within said housing, means yat opposite ends of the housing providing an electrostatic eld when co11- nected to a supply circuit, said liquid having dielectric properties, and conducting particles in said liquid which render said diaphragm conducting when collected thereon to complete a circuit between said contacts.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

